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Show OPINI VOL L ISSUE 10 Student f< necessary By Ryan Murrell Opinions Writer T he ways in which student fees are handled could not be better. The money is allocated to meet the needs of students. Without the extra fees that students pay, accessibility to computer labs, wireless Internet and even the student center would not be available. Paying student fees, a process designed by the student government, adds a new dimension to students' education. : "The UVUSA officers are delegated the authority to make recommendations, who then take it to the board of trustees and then to the board of regents," said Linda Makin, chief planning, budget and policy officer. "The student fees were all agreed upon by the students years back." Student fees allow new avenues of learning to be available to students who would not normally have access to those opportunities. "Years back, when laptop use was minimal, students needed access to computers to complete school work," Makin said. "They wanted access to open computer labs; the students agreed to pay for those ... students wanted free access to the wireless Internet. Before, you had to pay an additional charge and now the university offers free access to over 98 percent of the campus." ""• ,' Student fees also cover other important areas requested by students. "The wellness center is something the students also agreed to. Students wanted access to such help as mental health counselling and medical treatment," Makin said. "Without fees, we wouldn't have the student center. The union building fee pays the lights and power, custodial, all of that for the student center." At the end of the day, it's up to students to take advantage of the fees that we pay at the beginning of each semester. It will only be beneficial. """Whether students take the opportunity or not is their choice. There are activities all throughout education that people may think, 'That is a one-to-one connection and doesn't benefit me, but it is benefiting the whole university and its reputation,' " Makin said. "It is the same as if you pay tuition for a class that you never go to, and it happens, which is sad." We pay fees at the beginning of each semester. We need to take advantage of the opportunities that we agreed to pay for. We pay for more than just the opportunity to attend class. We pay for the opportunity to get a quality education; it's time we take full advantage of these opportunities. K1ar\xxi/UVU Review Ten re 1010: The hows and whys of a professionally paid faculty, Part 2 Tenure provides stability for professors and departments, which produces better education opportunities for students. By Celeste Rosenlof talking about can take place. Some students express concern that professors quit caring once s a teaching-based school, they have received tenure, that we are especially con- professors become self-indulgent cerned with the aspect of tenure and lazy instructors. that allows for free expression and Professors and administrators, flow of ideas in a classroom with- however, disagree. out fear of reprehension or job 'Tenure is not intended to give loss for professors. someone a free ride for the rest "Students benefit from the of their life," said Chuck Allison, tenure system because their pro- associate professor of computer fessors will feel more freedom to science and former president of talk about controversial ideas in UVU Faculty Senate. "Tenure is the classroom," said Dr. David R. to protect academic integrity." Keljeir, professor of ethics. "Part The many facets of tenure of education is learning about the were considered during the draftworld and learning about things ing of the new policy. More things that you don't agree with but you changed than the timeline, whereneed to leam about." in a tenure-track instructor must When a professor can express submit his or her portfolio for reradical ideas, whether their own or view, in an attempt to represent a variety "The fact that they worked of opinions within the classroom, on it for three years gives you an the kind of learning Dr. Keller is idea of how much discussion and Asst. Opinions Writer A Randy Neilson/UW Review debate went into it," said Dr. Ian Wilson, vice president of academic affairs. The standard to which both tenure-track and tenured profes- Some students express concern that professors quit caring once they have received tenure* that professors becorite self-indulgent and lazy instructors. sors are held has been set at par with the national standard of tenure policies, ensuring that UVU students are receiving the same kind of rigorous education. professors who have been on campus prior to the school becom- ing a university have seen a difference in the level of educators who are hired now as compared to before. "We are past the era of people being grandfathered in," Dr. Keller said. "That era is over and students need to know that ... nowadays, unless you really have strong teaching evaluations and you have a record of scholarly activity, you won't receive tenure." The new tenure policy states that a professor works for the school for six years on the tenure track and is then either granted tenure or dismissed from his or her position. Professors hired by the university can no longer expect tenure. Students have a right to better education than that provided by an incompetent teacher. Students also have a say in who teaches them and how they're taught. Through the Student Rat- ings of Instructors, students can provide feedback on what works and what doesn't with their learning styles. It is the responsibility of instructors, tenured professors or not, to pay attention to that feedback. "1 have changed the way I taught because of SRI's," Professor Allison said. SRI's are not only sent to professors and the department chair, but also permanently kept in the professor's tenure portfolio, according to the new policy. Among other changes in policy, the university has clearly illustrated that it considers competent teaching key to students' education. A better tenure policy ensures the procurement of quality professors and the security tenure, provides Incomes a means of liberation in the classroom. |